Buildings

ABSTRACT

BUILDING INCLUDES ARCH MEMBERS EACH HAVING A T-SHAPED CROSS-SECTION. LEG OF T PROJECTS INWARDLY. COVERING MATERIAL BETWEEN ARMS OF T PROJECT OUTWARDLY. COVERING MATERIAL RESTS ON OUTER FACES OF ARMS OF T, AND CAPPING MEANS COVERING MATERIAL IN PLACE, FASTENERS FOR CAPPING MEANS EXTENDING INTO SPACE BETWEEN THE FLANGES. STRENGTHENING MEANS MAY BE SECURED TO EACH ARCH MEMBER IN SPACED RELATION THERETO. EACH ARCH MEMBER MAY BE FORMED IN TWO HALVES JOINED AT THE APEX. LOWER ENDS OF ARCH MEMBERS SECURED TO A T-SHAPED BASE MEMBER, IF BUILDING IS FIXED, OR TO CHANNEL-SHAPED BASE MEMBER CONTAINING ROLLERS, IF BUILDING IS MOVABLY MOUNTED, ROLLERS ENGAGING FIXED RAIL.

Q United States Patent [111 3,587,205

[72 inventor Joseph Henry Gartside. 2.552.865 5/1951 Radnall 52/464 Blackley, Manchester. England 2,833 .228 5/1958 Martin 52/86X [21] Appl. No. 777.970 3.257.766 6/1966 Butterfield et 211.... 52/483 [22] Filed Oct. 29, 1968 3 394.526 7/1968 Engelbrecht 52/464X [451 Patented June 28, 1971 [73 I Assignee Continuation-impart of application Ser.

No. 742.280, July 3, 1968. abandoned [54} BUILDINGS 3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figs.

[50] Field of Search 52/86, 464, 463, 461. 281. 282. 274. 483. 66. 64. 169

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,931,750 10/1933 Blaski ..L

Primary Examiner- Price C. Faw. Jr. Attorney Breitenfeld and Levine ABSTRACT: Building includes arch members each having a T-shaped cross-section. Leg of T projects inwardly, and two flanges between arms of T project outwardly. Covering material rests on outer faces of arms of T, and capping means retain covering material in place, fasteners for capping means extending into space between the flanges. Strengthening means may be secured to each arch member in spaced relation thereto. Each arch member may be formed in two halves joined at the apex. Lower ends of arch members secured to a T-shaped base member, ifbuilding is fixed, or to channel-shaped base member containing rollers, if building is movably mounted, rollers engaging fixed rail.

P'ATENTEDJUM28I9H 3.587.205

SHEET 2 [IF 2 BUILDINGS This application is a continuation-in-part of our currently pending application for patent. Serial No. 742.280 and filed on July 3. I968. now abandoned.

This invention concerns buildings and particularly though not exclusively buildings which are to be provided with a transparent or transluscent roof and sides (for example enclosed swimming pools).

One of the difficulties experienced in the production of buildings of the above type lies in the supporting ofthe structure which. of necessity must have a large span. In the case of a swimming pool the span will be in the region of fifty feet and, of course, there must be no necessity for the use of support pillars in the pool. In view of this requirement it has been normal practice to provide strong support beams and arches and in view of strength requirements these beams and arches have been large and expensive to produce. Clearly the greater the size of the beams the less space is left for the ingress of light.

The object of the present invention is to provide a'building A structure which is light in weight and allows for the use of very large areas of transparent or transluscent material.

According to the present invention there is provided a building including a plurality of spaced apart interconnected transverse arch members substantially T-shaped in crosssection each member having as the leg of the T an inwardly extending stiffening n'b. a pair of spaced flanges. which extend outwardly from a position between the arms of the T on the side thereof remote from the leg and a pair of longitudinally extending cover material receiving faces forming the arms of the T and spaced apart by saidflanges. the latter serving to enable capping means to be fixed to each arch member in such a position relative thereto as to retain a pair of adjacent sheets of cover material against said faces, there being also provided strengthening means secured to each of said arch members and spaced therefrom.

The invention will be described further. by way of example. with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of pan of one of a series of transverse members. showing part of a capping element.

FIG. 2 is a part sectional view of ajoint at the apex of a building,

FIG. 3 is a part sectional view of a part of the base ofa building,

FIG. 4 is a side view of part of an arch member assembly. and

FIG. 5 is a part sectional view of a modified form of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3.

Reference will be made to a swimming pool cover but this does not limit the invention to use in this manner alone.

A swimming pool cover consists basically of a plurality of supporting arches extending transversely across the pool and its surrounding side edges. The arches are supported upon a low wall 10 (see FIG. 3) at one end of which is an entrance door.

Each arch member is identical and thus one only will be described in detail.

An arch member consists of two extrusions. which when placed together and joined at their abutting upper ends forms the arch. Each extrusion is basically of the form shown in FIG. 1 that is to say, of T-shaped cross-section. The leg 11 of the T serves as a stiffening rib. The arms 12 of the T are. on their outer faces relative to the leg 11 provided with a series of parallel small ribs 13 forming sheet material receiving faces, (hereinafter referred to) and between the arm 12 on the sheet material receiving faces are two spaced flanges 14 which define a narrow channel 1411 running lengthwise of the member. At their adjoining ends the two members are secured together by tie plates 15 (shown in chain line in substantially in shape to the arch is a strengthening member 16 of angle section and this is secured to the stiffening n'b by tie members 17 also of angle section (see FIG. 4).

To produce a cover for a swimming pool the low wall 10 is built therearound. an opening for a door being left at one end. All round the wall 10 and resting thereon is a base member 18 (see FIG. 3) for the arches. The base member consists of an extrusionof T-shape in cross-section, the leg 19 of the T being adapted to extend angularly upwardly from the arm 20 thereof. The leg 19 of the T is provided with spaced flanges 21 which in use extend outwardly relative to the space to be enclosed. Each arm 20 of the T is provided with a flange 22 at the outer end, the flanges extending away from theleg 19 of the T, and a substantially centrally disposed flange 23 upon which, together with one of the end flanges 22 the base member 18 rests on the wall 10.

At spaced intervals of approximately four feet six inches are located the arches and referred to above. Extending between the arches parallel to the base member are spaced apart angle members (not shown) which serve to hold the arches in their required positions. Sheets of resin bonded glass fibers 24 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) are located on the framework so formed, each sheet 24 extending from the apex of the arch to the flanges 21 on the leg 19 of the T of the base member 18. The sheets 24 are of such a width that they abut the flanges 14 of the arch members. To hold the panels in position a capping strip 25 is secured to the flanges of the arch members by fixing means such as self tapping screws which become located between the flanges 14.

The base of the capping strip 25 is provided by inwardly dirdcted flanges 26 on the underside of which are provided longitudinal ribs 27 and these, together with the ribs 13 on the arms 12 of the arch members serve to hold the resin bonded glass fiber sheet 24 tightly in position. The resin bonded glass fiber sheet 24 is also secured to the angle members extending between the arch members. A further capping strip 30 with flanges 26 omitted is secured to the base member 18 by means of self tapping screws which enter the space between the flanges 21 on the leg 19 of the T.

A capping strip 28 having outwardly directed flanges 29 is secured along the outer apex of the arch (see FIG. 2)

and is bolted to a corresponding inner member 31 by a bolt I Referring now to FIG. 5, the cover is not mounted on a low wall but instead the arch members extend down to ground level where there is provided a concrete plinth 33 extending around the base region of the cover. Mounted rigidly on the plinth 33 by means of bolts 34 is a track member 35 having an upwardly projecting rail 36.

The base member 18 of the previous embodiment is, in this case, replaced by a base member 37 of channel form. The member has an upwardly extending leg 38 having flanges 39 as in the previous case and extends around the base of the Rotatably mounted in spaced relationship around the base channel member 37 are a plurality of wheels 40 arranged to run on the rail 36. The member 37 has inwardly direct flanges 41 to protect the rail and wheeled assembly from adverse weatherconditions. U w H Thus there can be provided a movable swimming pool cover arranged, preferably in two halves, to slide over or away from the pool.

Inthe above described structure the arch menib ers are approximately one and a half inches in width and the stiffening flange 11 is approximately two inches deep. The angle members extending between the arch members are approximately of one inch side and thus it will be appreciated that by far the largest area of the cover is open for the admission of light. 7

The ends of the building (with the exception of the door space) are formed by using vertical members of extruded form identical in cross-section to that described with relation to the arch members and by using angle members in the horizontal direction. Resin bonded glass fiber sheets are secured to the ends in the same manner as to the arches.

The invention is not restricted to the above details. For example. transluscent or transparent material other than fibre glass may be used or alternatively opaque material may be used in the case where a shed or workshop type of building is required.

What is claimed is:

l. A building including a supporting arch member having a substantially T-shaped cross sectional shape. the leg of T being an inwardly extending stiffening rib. a pair of longitudinally-extending parallel spaced-apart flanges extending outwardly from a position between the arms of the T on the side thereof remote from the leg of the T, said flanges being adapted to receive fastening elements between them at all points along their length, the arms of the T carrying a pair of longitudinally extending cover-material-receiving faces. said faces being separated by said flanges for receiving a pair of adjacent sheets of cover material, first capping means extending along said arch member for retaining the cover material against said faces, fastening elements accommodated between said flanges for securing said first capping means to said arch member. strengthening means independent of and spaced from said arch member and extending along the length of said arch member. means for securing said strengthening means to said arch member, and a base member having a substantially T-shaped cross-section, the ends of said arch member being secured to said base member. the leg of the T of said base member having spaced apart outwardly-projecting flanges adapted to receive fastening elements between them at all points along their length. second capping means, and fastening elements accommodated between said flanges for securing said second capping means to said base member.

2. A building including a supporting arch member having a substantially T-shaped cross-sectional shape, the leg of the T being an inwardly extending stiffening rib, a pair of longitudinally-extending parallel spaced-apart flanges extending outwardly from a position between the arms of the T on the side thereof remote from the leg of the T, said flanges being adapted to receive fastening elements between them at all points along their length, the arms of the T carrying a pair of longitudinally extending cover-materialreceiving faces. said faces being separated by said flanges for receiving a pair of adjacent sheets of cover material, first capping means extending along said arch member for retaining the cover material against said faces, fastening elements accommodated between said flanges for securing said first capping means to said arch member, a strengthening means independent of and spaced from said arch member and extending along the length of said arch member, and

means for securing said strengthening means to said arch member, a base member having a channel form, the ends of said arch member being secured to said base member, a plurality of wheels rotatably mounted in said channel base member, a fixed track member provided with a rail, said wheels being mounted on said rail to run along the latter, whereby the building is arranged to be moved along said track member, and a leg extending upwardly from said channel base member, said leg having spaced apart outwardly-projecting flanges thereon adapted to receive fastening elements between them at all points along their length, second capping means, and fastening elements accommodated between said flanges for securing said second capping means to said base member.

3. A building as claimed in claim 1 in which the arm of the T of the base member is provided with terminal flanges directed away from the leg, and an intermediate flange, one of said terminal flanges and the intermediate flange serving to provide a seating for the base member. 

